Take control of the Spirit Vessel and battle waves of brutal fighters and colossal enemies.

Gain new weapons and build your powers as the final showdown between good and evil draws near.

Chain together combo attacks and amass the points needed to move up the online leader boards and win trophies.

A land in turmoil

Abandoned by its king and despite the best efforts of his wife, the ferocious and awe-inspiring Queen Ashlelei, the Kingdom of Santville lies in pieces. The treacherous King Eldrake’s forces have been slain and in their place a much darker force has emerged, “a storm of lightning to cleanse the land... the MALICIOUS”.

Assembling a huge army, the queen sets off to confront this latest, unknown threat to her war-ravaged country. She finds a colossal beast and with the help of four brave warriors, each one endowed with superhuman power by the mysterious Elders, the MALICIOUS is vanquished.

Following that victory, Queen Ashlelei and her fellow victors refuse to hand back the special powers granted them by the Elders. Instead, she rules with an iron fist as the Kingdom of Santville becomes the most powerful land on the continent, awash with riches yet mired in corruption. Obsessed with destruction, the once proud monarch becomes known as the Mad Queen because of her fierce and brutal lust for war.

Many years passed and even though the queen was no more, her shadow continued to hang over the land. One night, a girl saw a shooting star. She prayed to it for deliverance and this time someone listened…

Start your quest

From the moment you fire up the game on your PlayStation 3, you’re drawn into the world of MALICIOUS thanks to an atmospheric score - available as a separate download from PlayStation Store - combined with a colourful and detailed visual style.

Summoned by the Elders to regain control of the special powers given to the queen and her nefarious companions, you are the Slayer and you inhabit the Spirit Vessel. This is a wondrous human form that contains the spirits of all those defeated by it and manifests itself as the shape-shifting Mantle of Cinders, your principal weapon in restoring peace to the Kingdom of Santville.

The White Room is where your adventure starts. Consult with the Elder at the centre of the other-worldly space for useful hints and tips before selecting one of the six locations dotted around the area and you’ll find yourself thrust into an intense battle teeming with a huge variety of foes.

Pick your battles

The focal point in each arena is a fearsome boss character that you’ll need to take out within a set time limit to progress. Before you do so, give the hulking behemoth a wide berth by darting around and picking off the swarms of lesser enemies to boost your Aura meter. Rack up more Aura by taking out multiple targets at the same time or by evading their onslaughts, then use this to boost your own attacks or restore health.

As you’re building up your Aura, be sure to keep an eye on the boss – steaming into battle against it behemoths is unlikely to wield instant results. Instead, watch how it moves around the arena and you’ll soon work out the best way to outwit it before unleashing Aura attacks by holding down the L1 button and pressing either the Triangle or Square button.

Every time you defeat a boss, you’ll unlock new forms for the Mantle of Cinders, which you can then access using the directional buttons on your wireless controller. Get the timing right and you can switch between these in the heat of battle to string impressive combinations together as you seek to take out all six beasts and wipe out the evil force that is the MALICIOUS.

Head over to PlayStation Store now to download MALICIOUS and experience a fresh and intense combat game exclusive to PlayStation 3.